SKOWHEGAN — A Skowhegan police detective was arrested Thursday on a charge of domestic violence assault.
Detective Sgt. Don E. Avery turned himself in at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison and was released after meeting with a bail commissioner, according to a statement from Police Chief David Bucknam.
Avery, 36, of Fairfield, was booked at the jail at 1:40 p.m. Thursday.
He has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation, which is standard procedure when incidents like that arise, Bucknam said.
The District Attorney’s Office is also reviewing the facts of the incident and the courts have sealed the warrant, therefore the facts and the allegations against Avery are not yet public, he said.
The booking log at the county jail indicates Avery was arrested on a warrant based on a complaint from an indictment.
“Both investigations are still very new,” Bucknam said. “The facts are still being gathered.”
Avery was hired in March 2016. His current annual salary is $51,667, according to Bucknam.
“As your police chief, I would like to stress that this agency is committed to transparency and I look forward to discussing this unfortunate incident more fully in the near future when the court system deems it appropriate,” Bucknam said in the statement. “Until that occurs, I want the residents to know that everyone in Skowhegan is accountable under the law. As unfortunate and sad as this incident is to me, let me be clear: No one in Skowhegan is above the law. Period.”
Avery was released on bail, but there is no information on a scheduled court date or if he has a lawyer yet.
Doug Harlow — 612-2367
Twitter:@Doug_Harlow
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